


Woodland Romp

by Alopex



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Fluff, Kid!Bill - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-22
Updated: 2014-08-22
Packaged: 2018-02-14 05:02:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2178906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alopex/pseuds/Alopex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dipper Pines finally finds a friend his age, a strange but charming boy named Bill, who's quick to show him some of the wonders of Gravity Falls.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Woodland Romp

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote most of this a little under a year ago and I never posted it. Wow. Anyways, I got a few asks on tumblr asking if I ever finished it, so I ended up checking in and realizing that it was almost complete! I did a few revisions, and posted it. This is older writing, but I hope it's still all right. I also did a few sketches a long while ago for the fic, links below.
> 
> http://obsidianchameleon.tumblr.com/post/66748059074/dipper-looked-up-finding-bill-perched-atop-a
> 
> http://obsidianchameleon.tumblr.com/post/66749597112/dipper-turned-slightly-about-to-nudge-bill

The golden sunlight filtered through the sap green needles of the towering redwoods, causing everything in the park to glow. The afternoon, not too cold yet not too hot, with just the right amount of breeze, was perfect for a myriad of activities. For some, like Mabel, it meant prancing around with her friends and storming all of the cute boys that happened to be passing by. Soos ended up completely distracted by the bushy-tailed squirrels in the park, and was unfazed even when they bit his finger instead of the peanuts he offered them. For Dipper, this meant finding a quiet, secluded bench to read for a few hours.

Dipper couldn't ask for more. All of the chores and bustle of the shack drained him, whereas the surrounding nature, no responsibilities for a while, and a good book was all that he needed to recharge. With that, he withdrew into the world of the novel, oblivious to everything and everyone around him. So absorbed was he in his reading that he didn't even notice when a boy around his age sat down next to him, swinging his legs and watching Dipper with an amused expression.

"Watcha readin,' Pine Tree?"

Dipper jumped with a squeak. "Oh. Uh, just a mystery novel," he answered, flashing him the cover. "You... Sure did sneak up on me," he noted, smiling weakly, unnerved.

"Oh, I'm a master of stealth. You have no idea, kid!" he remarked gleefully. "My name's Bill, by the way," he added, extending a hand.

The boy was a little taller than Dipper, was almost unnaturally bony, and had golden hair that looked as if it swept back into a tapered point naturally. His clothing was simple but elegant - a yellow, well-fitting button down with the sleeves rolled up, paired with black slacks - but the most striking feature about the boy was his eye patch, embroidered neatly with a yellow triangle, over his right eye. Whether it was purposeful or just for the sake of aesthetic, Dipper didn't know, but eye patches were surprisingly common in the town, so he paid it no heed. There was something about the boy that put him on edge, but plenty of nice people were a little odd at first, so he decided to be amiable.

After moments of hesitating, Dipper finally took the offered hand, slightly surprised at how warm it was. "I'm Dipper."

"What an interesting name! I take it you have a corresponding birthmark?"

Dipper stared, bemused. "How did you know?"

"Wild guess!" Bill grinned, a little too widely in Dipper's opinion.

He paused again. Of all the people he had met, this guy was quickly making his way up on his list of the strangest people he had met. Still, this was the first boy he met who was actually his age, and strange wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He shrugged off the boy's peculiar guess. "So what brings you here to Gravity Falls?" He decided to ask in an attempt to break the ice.

"Me? Oh, I live here. I've been away on a few trips, but I'm back now. I take it you're not a local?"

"No, actually, I'm just here for the summer with my Grunkle, helping him run the Mystery Shack."

"Ah! Child labor! Excellent use of human resources, if you ask me."

Definitely weird, Dipper thought.

At that moment, something growled in the forest, not too far off. Dipper turned, panicking slightly.

"Did you hear that?!"

Bill didn't even flinch as he replied. "Yeah. Don't worry, it's just a gremloblin."

"Don't worry about- wait. You've seen one too?"

"Oh, I see them all the time when I'm out in the woods!"

"Hold up," Dipper paused, arching an eyebrow. "You know about all the stuff out there?"

"Know? Why, of course I do! In fact, I know a lot of things about this little town," Bill stated, his expression growing smug.

"Really? And I thought most of the people here had no idea the town's leaking magic!"

Bill scooted up to Dipper, draping his arm around the other's shoulders and extending his other arm in a dramatic sweep of the area. "Trust me, there's so much more to this place than you'd think. Here," Bill jumped up, grabbing Dipper's wrist." "I can show you right now."

Before he could so much as protest, Dipper found himself pulled along by the strange boy onto a previously obscured path through the woods. Despite his pale, lithe appearance, Bill's grip was surprisingly strong, and Dipper couldn't pry himself loose if he tried. He hastily shoved his book into his vest and tried to keep up.

"Wait, isn't there a gremloblin in there?!"

"Relax, kid, we won't go near her."

"'Her?'"

"You can tell by the pitch of the roar."

"They all sound the same to me," Dipper muttered.

The forest got darker and the underbrush thicker as they ran along, Bill still tugging Dipper behind him. He seemed full of energy, his breathing not a bit labored, whereas Dipper found himself out of breath quickly. Bill stopped abruptly and finally released Dipper's wrist, causing Dipper to almost trip and fall over from the momentum.

"All right, quiet now."

Dipper held his breath, not knowing what to expect. Bill ducked under a low-hanging branch, parted the bushes, then waved for the brunette to follow. Quietly, the two stepped into a clearing.

Dipper wasn't sure what Bill could have possibly brought him to, but he definitely did not envision the wonders he saw. Thick but soft emerald grass dominated the clearing, enveloping a shimmering brook running along the middle. The tall redwoods circling the area, their pungent scent permeating the air, blocked out most of the light, except for a few stray rays of sun which seeped their way through the branches, illuminating random spots on the ground. The air here was cooler thanks to the creek and the shade, a welcome change from the summer sun. Dipper treaded over to the bank, watching the slow-moving water reflect dazzling hues of magenta and cerulean. Tiny fish darted about, their sapphire and ruby scales flashing where the light struck the water. Dipper watched, absolutely mesmerized by the area until a guttural croak made him glance up from his trance. A fat, moss-colored toad crouching on a rock leaped up towards Dipper and spread out its pink, dragonfly-like wings, flapping lazily across the stream.

"Watch out, those bite."

Dipper looked up, finding Bill already perched atop a fallen tree stretching across the gurgling creek, and at this sight he felt something stir within him, a peculiar feeling he couldn't shake right away. There was something about Bill that struck him, reminiscent of other feelings he couldn't place at that moment. Was it his alluring grin, or the lighting on his face and hair, coupled with the angle Dipper watched him from? Was it his laid back posture, or the air he seemed to give off? Or was it-

His thoughts were cut short as the toad, having flown dangerously close to his face, started pawing at Dipper's face with its stubby legs. The boy tried to swipe at the creature with his hand, but all that did was cause the amphibian to clamp onto his finger, eliciting a howl of pain from him - who knew frogs could have teeth? He pulled out the book which had been stowed in his vest and hit the toad upside the head a few times. Disgruntled, it plopped down and hopped away with a gurgling noise.

Bill chuckled to himself as he observed the fiasco from above. "Told ya," he laughed.

Dipper smiled sheepishly back at him, replacing the book inside his vest. "What was that? I've never even heard of anything like that."

"A fairy frog. They're not very common, but that's a good thing if you ask me."

"I'd agree with that."

Bill nodded, and patted a spot next to him. "Hey, come up here. It's a nice view and the frogs don't fly this high," he offered.

Dipper complied, scrambling up on the log. The view from there was just as nice; the sparkling creek winded across the clearing and disappeared into the dark teal forest, and the fish were easier to observe from this angle as well. The pair sat quietly for a while, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells. At one point, Dipper glanced up to find Bill gazing at him, though the other looked away pointedly when Dipper turned. Dipper felt his cheeks heat up slightly.

"So, Dipper," Bill spoke up. "Tell me about yourself."

"Like, just about myself?"

"Yeah. Where you came from, what's your favorite food, anything really."

"Oh, ok," Dipper replied. Bill seemed genuinely interested about him, something Dipper couldn't say about most other people. Happily, he began, talking about his childhood, his sister, his experiences. Bill listened attentively, sharing a few stories of his own that fit the conversation at hand, though remaining rather vague about his past. Dipper shrugged it off; not everyone was as open as he, and they had only been talking for half an hour, if that. As the pair continued chatting, Dipper grew more and more impressed and excited - Bill was the friend he had been looking for since he got to Gravity Falls. He seemed knowledgeable, attentive, and oddly pleasant the longer he talked to him, no matter how peculiar he seemed to be at first.

"-and that's why I don't associate with the Manotaurs anymore," Dipper concluded.

"Huh, bold move, Pine Tree," Bill nodded.

"No one bashes BABBA or their fans in front of me," Dipper stated proudly.

"Yeah, no one bashes a girly Icelandic pop band... but me and the rest of the world," Bill added quickly with a smirk. Despite his pleasant demeanor, the boy still maintained a sharp tongue and was quick to insert lighthearted insults as a form of humor.

"Hey! Rude!" Dipper laughed, elbowing Bill, who nudged him back playfully.

It was then that Dipper became uncomfortably aware of how close in proximity to each other they had gotten, even though they had started out sitting a short distance away from each other. In fact, their shoulders were but a centimeter apart at this point. He wasn't used to being so close to people; he usually kept his distance, especially with people he wasn't too familiar with. Yet when Dipper turned slightly, about to jokingly nudge Bill again, he stopped in his tracks. A stray beam of sunlight struck his hair, illuminating his golden locks. It swept back, untidy yet somehow purposeful. His yellow shirt seemed to glow, and he became very aware of a pleasant cologne (or was it just his natural scent?), something that made his brain a little fuzzy. As puzzling as the feeling was to Dipper, Bill looked nothing short of... perfect. Suddenly, their close proximity didn't bother him. His face reddened at the unexpected thoughts.

Bill's uncovered eye glinted mischievously as he met the boy's gaze, cheeks betraying a growing pinkness at the eye contact. He smiled gently, as if understanding Dipper's thoughts.

"You know, you're pretty cute."

Dipper's breath hitched sharply. He started to stutter a response, but Bill put a finger to the boy's lips to silence him. The brunet trembled as Bill cupped his face and, without warning, leaned in to kiss Dipper, lips lingering on the other's for a few moments. He withdrew, about to make a teasing comment about Dipper's evident nervousness, when Dipper grabbed Bill's shirt and fervently pulled them together again, not quite understanding why he did that, but not feeling up to questioning it either. Amused, Bill returned the kiss instead of commenting snidely, reaching his arm around Dipper's back, pulling him closer.

Yet right as he took the lead, Dipper realized he was completely clueless as to the mechanics of kissing. Sensing this, Bill quickly took charge, moving his lips in a way that made Dipper shiver slightly. Whether he had prior experience or was just naturally good at this Dipper wasn't sure, but quite frankly he could care less. As Dipper rested his hands on Bill's shoulders, the blond seemed to loosen up, his body movements becoming slightly less graceful but all the more natural. It was shy, chaste, gentle, but there was something more to it that Dipper couldn't place. He felt his face flush as he realized this was his first kiss (the incident with Mermando didn't count); this definitely wasn't how he envisioned things, but he wasn't about to complain. Somehow, this was oddly overwhelming, but in all the best ways. Bill's scent filled his nostrils, reminiscent of clean clothes and herbs and something that Dipper could only describe as magical, for he couldn't find a better word. Mimicking Bill's actions, Dipper quickly picked up on the action, though melted every time the other went a step further; he felt like he could had fallen off the branch when Bill unexpectedly nibbled on his bottom lip.

They eventually parted, leaning back to gaze at each other through half lidded eyes.

"That was-"

"Something," Bill gasped, his confident demeanor lessening as raw emotion flooded him. "Definitely something. So that was your first kiss?"

"You could tell?" Dipper asked sheepishly, looking almost embarrassed.

"Yeah, but not in a bad way," Bill replied, looking almost bashful. Dipper looked relieved, even a little pleased with himself.

"Heh, well, I certainly... Enjoyed it."

"Me too," Bill agreed, his expression uncharacteristically serene.

"Heh. Hey, do you happen to know what time it is? At least approximately?" Dipper inquired, glancing up at the sky. He scolded himself mentally for not having a watch on him.

"Four sixteen," Bill shot off without batting an eyelid.

"How did you?-" Dipper trailed off, caught off guard.

"Excellent internal clock," the other declared. "It's just one of those things."

"Well then," Dipper mumbled, impressed. "Uh, my family was planning on leaving around four thirty, so I should probably get back now."

"Oh, of course! I'll get you back safe and sound, don't you worry."

The pair trod off into the woods, this time walking shoulder to shoulder, despite the path being narrow. They talked as they picked their way through the forest. Unfortunately, Dipper got too caught up in the conversation and didn't notice a root underfoot, falling flat on his face to his utter embarrassment. He rolled over with a groan, only to see Bill standing above him, evidently suppressing laughter. Dipper laughed weakly himself. Count on him to do something so dumb.

"Here," Bill said, reaching out a hand. Dipper took it, and was halfway up when the other unexpectedly released his hand, causing the brunet to topple over again. It took one look at Dipper's face for Bill to erupt into giggles.

"Wo-ow, Pine Tree, you made the funniest face! Oh my, that was worth it," he sighed contentedly, wiping mock tears away.

Dipper found his way to his feet, glancing apprehensively at Bill, who noticed his expression.

"Hey, don't sweat it, kid. It's just a prank," he stated, batting his eyelashes.

Dipper tittered weakly, scratching his arm. Bill certainly liked a good laugh, even if it was at another's expense Dipper noted.

The rest of their path was uneventful, and they finally made it back to the park.

"I guess I'll see you around?" Dipper asked hopefully, his hands jammed into the pockets of his vest as he rocked shyly to and fro.

"Yep, I'll catch ya later. I've my own business to attend to."

Before Dipper could question what 'business' a twelve (or was Bill thirteen?) year old would have on summer vacation, a high pitched voice carried from across the park. "There you are, Dipper!"

"That would be my sister. Anyways, gotta run! Bye!" Dipper turned, speeding over to his sister. Bill waved, then walked a few feet into the trees to conceal himself in the shadows of the forest. He watched the twins interact from his spot through half lidded eyes, leaning against a tree nonchalantly.

What an interesting kid, Bill thought to himself. There surely is more to him than there seems.

\--

"Geez, Dipper, where were you? We've been looking for you for the last ten minutes!"

"I made a friend!" Dipper responded happily. "Sorry I got caught up."

"Whoa, really?" Mabel asked, excited for her brother.

"Yeah, a boy about my age. His name is Bill."

"Is he cuuute?"

"Of course that's the first thing you ask," Dipper laughed, nudging her.

"Well, duh! Important things first," Mabel retorted. "So, is he?"

"...Yeah, kind of."

"Ooohmygosh are you-? Dipper, you're blushing! You totally are!"

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are! What did you guys even do?"

"He showed me a cool spot in the woods," Dipper replied, hastily switching the subject away from his blushing.

"Oooh, a romantic romp through the woods!"

"It wasn't like that! Sort of..."

"SORT OF?! What, did you like kiss or something?"

Dipper was beet red by then, biting his lip. "Y-"

He couldn't even get the rest of the word out as he was drowned out by an excited shriek from his sister.

\--

Once Dipper left the park, Bill turned around, strolling off into the woods in no particular direction. Once he was confident he was away from any human eyes, his form shifted, changing into the more comfortable form of a flat, floating triangle. With a wave, a black top hat and bow tie appeared, and he zoomed off into the woods, traveling into its tangled depths. Eventually, the demon came to a gnarled, dry oak and rested on one of the branches.

Dipper was completely unsuspecting, much to Bill's delight. Ever since he had noticed the boy, he had found him to be intriguing. Luring him in was almost too easy; almost everything impressed him, and messing with the boy's romantic feelings was even more fun. The poor kid had no idea what he was doing, pawing too hard, clacking teeth... And yet even he himself found something oddly charming about that.

Bill shook the thought. No, if he was going to use this kid, he needed to keep a clear head. Fun was fun, but work came first, and he had more than just a prank or two up his sleeve. No, Bill had many plans for this kid, more than the boy could ever comprehend.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed that lil bit of fluff. I had plans to continue this, but I don't think I will, simply because I have other fics I'm planning to work on and I don't know where I'd go with this. Who knows, maybe one day I'll continue this, but for now it's just going to be left as a one-shot.


End file.
